Download Introduction to Law and Ethics August 2016

INTRODUCTION
LAW AND ETHICS FOR
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
Yusrita Zolkefli
6th August 2016 (Week 1)
7.30am
 What
is law?
 Types
of law
 What
is ethics?
 Relevance
 Course
of ethics for health professionals
content and assessment
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 The
principles, regulations and system of rules established in a
community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in
the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognised and
enforced by judicial decisions.
 Laws
are put in place to preserve public welfare and manage certain
relationships (such as contracts) within the society.
WHAT IS LAW?
 Health
professionals deal with individuals’ most precious commodities,
i.e. life and health. Mistake results in death or disability
 Maintain
and improve on high standards of the profession
 To
hold each of its individual members accountable for an increasing
range of responsibilities
RELEVANCE OF LAW FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
 Criminal
law
Addresses the general welfare of the public. A violation of criminal
law is called a crime, and it is prosecuted by the government.
 Civil
law
Regulates conduct between private individuals and is enforced
through the courts as damages or monetary compensation.
TYPES OF LAW
 Perhaps
the best-known serial killer in England.
 On
31 January 2000 he was found guilty of murdering 15 of his
patients (where 80% of his victims were women, between year 1971 1998), jailed for life on the recommendation he never be released.
 It
seems he killed most of his patients by injecting them with the drug
diamorphine.
 He
committed suicide in jail (2004).
(DR) HAROLD SHIPMAN
 In
1993, was convicted of killing four young children in her care and
attempting to kill another three in Lincolnshire, England.
 She
murdered her victims by injecting them with potassium chloride,
which caused their hearts to stop.
 In
some cases she killed by injecting her victims with insulin. She was
sentenced to life imprisonment.
(NURSE) BEVERLY ALLITT
 Whatever
the motive of Shipman and Allitt, there can be no doubt
that they demonstrated utter disregard for the sanctity of human life.

They departed from proper moral standards; total on professional
code of conduct to preserve life, not take it.
 They
engaged in evil practices against the very helpless and
vulnerable patients they were supposed to protect and care for.
 Obligation
to report? (when health professional is abusing and
harming patients in any way)
REFLECTION: THE CASES
 The
study of morality and morals
A
branch of moral philosophy that studies how people behave and
conduct themselves. Do they conduct themselves in a good or a
bad way?
A
study of morally acceptable or unacceptable behaviours.
 It
presents various ways of understanding and examining ‘moral life’;
that is, to try and find principles for living good life.
WHAT IS ETHICS?
 Caring
is sometimes a very complex task, requiring complex decision
making that calls for constant appraisal of our individual moral and
ethical positions.
 We
owe it to our patients to do the right thing; being guided by
sound moral, ethical and professional codes.
 In
the process we must demonstrate respect for patients’ own moral
values and belief system.
 It
is a critical examination of assumptions, arguments, values, norms
and behaviours that people use to guide their lives
RELEVANCE OF ETHICS FOR HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS
 What
is law?
 Types
of law
 What
is ethics?
 Relevance
 Course
of ethics for health professionals
content and assessment
SUMMARY